DYNAMIC INPUT SURFACE FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20160103496A1
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Published: 04/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett W., Sunshine, Daniel D., Hopkinson, Ron A., Ligtenberg, Christiaan A., Leggett, William F., Kessler, Patrick
• Granted Patent: US 10,656,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1662 Details related to the integrated keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04102 Flexible digitiser, i.e. constructional details for allowing the whole digitising part of a device to be flexed or rolled like a sheet of paper
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04106 Multi-sensing digitiser, i.e. digitiser using at least two different sensing technologies simultaneously or alternatively, e.g. for detecting pen and finger, for saving power or for improving position detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0213 Arrangements providing an integrated pointing device in a keyboard, e.g. trackball, mini-joystick for pointing devices integrated in a laptop computer G06F1/169; joysticks G05G9/047; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03547 Touch pads, in which fingers can move on a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/041 Digitisers, e.g. for touch screens or touch pads, characterised by the transducing means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0445 using two or more layers of sensing electrodes, e.g. using two layers of electrodes separated by a dielectric layer
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0447 Position sensing using the local deformation of sensor cells
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus

Abstract

A dynamic input surface for an electronic device and a method of reconfiguring the same is disclosed. The input surface has a partially-flexible metal contact portion defining an input area, and a group of indicators. The indicators may be group of holes extending through the contact portion. The group of holes may be selectively illuminated based on a gesture performed on the contact portion. A size of the input area may be dynamically varied based on the gesture. Additionally, the group of indicators indicates a boundary of the input area.

Claims

1. A dynamic input surface comprising:

a metal contact portion defining an input area; and

a group of indicators selectively activated based on a gesture performed on the metal contact portion;

wherein

a size of the input area dynamically varies, based on the gesture; and

the group of indicators indicates a boundary of the input area.

2. The dynamic input surface of claim 1 further comprising:

a sense layer positioned below the metal contact portion;

a drive layer positioned beneath the sense layer;

a compliant layer positioned between and coupled to the sense layer and the drive layer;

a rigid base layer positioned below the drive layer; and

one or more supports positioned between the metal contact portion and the rigid base layer.

3. The dynamic input surface of claim 1, wherein a position of the input area on the metal contact portion dynamically changes, based on the gesture.

4. The dynamic input surface of claim 1, wherein the input area is bounded by an illuminated subset of the group of indicators.

5. The dynamic input surface of claim 1, wherein the group of indicators is changed in response to the gesture.

6. The dynamic input surface of claim 1, wherein:

the group of indicators comprises a group of holes; and

the group of holes is sealed with an optically clear sealant.

7. An electronic device comprising:

a metal casing comprising a partially-flexible contact portion;

a keyboard assembly positioned within the metal casing; and

a dynamic input surface on the metal casing, the dynamic input surface comprising;

a group of indicators extending through the partially-flexible contact portion; and

an adjustable input area bounded by a subset of the group of indicators.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the dynamic input surface is positioned adjacent the keyboard assembly.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a haptic feedback module in electrical communication with the dynamic input surface, and providing a haptic signal to the partially-flexible contact portion.

10. The electronic device of claim 7, further comprising a touch detection module in electrical communication with the dynamic input surface, and determining an input based on a gesture.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a module in electrical communication with the dynamic input surface, and configured to resize or reposition the adjustable input area based on the gesture.

12. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the adjustable input area of the dynamic input surface includes at least a part of the partially-flexible contact portion.

13. A method for reconfiguring a dynamic input surface of an electronic device, the method comprising:

illuminating a boundary of an input area of the dynamic input surface, the input area comprising a part of a contact surface;

receiving at least one gesture within or on the boundary of the input area;

adjusting at least one of a position or a size of the input area of the dynamic input surface based on the gesture; and

varying an illumination of the boundary accordingly.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein illuminating the boundary of the input area comprises:

providing light to a group of holes extending through a partially-flexible, metal contact portion defining the dynamic input surface; and

forming the boundary of the input area by lighting the group of holes.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving the gesture comprises:

receiving a first contact point within or on the boundary of the input area of the dynamic input surface; and

receiving a second contact point within or on the boundary of the input area of the dynamic input surface;

wherein

the first contact point and the second contact point are adjacent opposite sides of the input area.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the position of the input area comprises simultaneously moving a first portion of the boundary corresponding to the first contact point and a second portion of the boundary corresponding to the second contact point in a same direction across the contact surface.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein adjusting the size of the input area comprises moving the first portion of the boundary corresponding to the first contact point in a first direction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein adjusting the size of the input area comprises one of:

maintaining the second portion of the boundary corresponding to the second contact point in a stationary position;

or

moving the second portion of the boundary corresponding to the second contact point in a second direction opposite the first direction.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein adjusting the position of the input area comprises relocating the input area of the dynamic input surface from a first position on the contact surface to a second position on the contact surface.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein adjusting the size of the input area comprises increasing at least one dimension of the boundary.